Archives For Fitness Inspiration

Let’s face it, most people dislike exercise. Or at least they think they do.

They say it takes up too much time, they don’t like to get sweaty, or maybe they’re so out-of-shape that exercise hurts.

Or maybe they’d just rather lie on the couch and eat cake.

I think that anyone who says they don’t like exercise is really saying that they don’t have any motivation.

Motivation is what gets you to stick with an exercise routine—even when it’s the last thing you feel like doing.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for motivation, since different things motivate different people. Try the following 7 reasons on for size and discover what motivates you:

Reason #1: Health
The long list of health benefits attributed to exercise should be enough motivation for anyone. Physical activity helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It also helps lower bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, while improving the amount of good cholesterol in your body.

Reason #2: Making Progress
When it comes to exercise, many people find it helpful to track their progress so they can see where they started and how far they go over time. Seeing improvements reminds you that your hard work is worth the effort. Perhaps you were only able to walk a mile, now you’re able to run two! Maybe you weighed in at 250 pounds, and now you’re down to 215! Track your progress using a regular journal, phone app, or fitness website. This is a great way to stay motivated and to remind yourself that while you may not notice your progress, you’re making progress every day!

Reason #3: Convenience
Many people don’t stick with an exercise routine when it becomes inconvenient for them. Whether you face a schedule change or don’t have time to drive to the gym, it’s important (and possible) to find a time and place that work best for you and your busy lifestyle. Just remember to be flexible! If you’re too tired at the end of the day, try waking up a few minutes early to fit in a workout.

Reason #4: Enjoyment
If exercise is a bore for you, find a way to make it fun. Everyone likes doing things they enjoy. You might hate running but enjoy swimming or riding a bike. Perhaps you don’t like being alone and would rather be social. So join a team! Or maybe you don’t like the idea of driving all the way to the gym, changing out, and exercising with a crowd. Find out when your local gym is least populated, and hit the weights then. Do what’s most fun for you and you’ll be less likely to stop.

Reason #5: Goal Achievement
If you’re just getting started in the world of exercise, a good place to start is by setting goals. How much weight would you like to lose? How far would you like to run? Working towards a goal is a great motivator. However, don’t set up for failure by striving after unrealistic goals. Do this and you’ll soon feel overwhelmed and give up altogether. To avoid this, set realistic milestones. When you reach them, enjoy your accomplishment and then set new goals to take your good health even further.

Reason #6: Increased Confidence
If you’re out of shape or overweight, it can take a lot of courage to start an exercise routine. Remember to be confident in who you are, no matter what size or shape. Don’t compare yourself to the skinny, toned figure strutting her stuff through the gym. Keep your eyes on your goal and don’t expect perfection after just a week of exercise. Strive to have your best body—not someone else’s.

Reason #7: Rewards
Rewards are a great motivator. In fact, much of what you do in life is motivated by a reward of some kind, whether intrinsic or extrinsic. When it comes to exercise, a good reward probably shouldn’t be an ice cream sundae, but it may be that new pair of jeans you’ve been eyeing, or perhaps a night out with friends. Maybe for you, weight loss and lowered blood pressure are reward enough. Just know that your hard work is paying off and deserves to be rewarded.

Are you doing just enough or going past the finish line?

I recently went out for a run. Just me and my thoughts. No headphones or any music to listen to.

Now running isn’t my favorite thing to do but I understand the benefits of cardiovascular training.

It was only a 20 minute jog and coming up to the end my thoughts went to something I have struggled with in the past.

I felt myself slowing down as I was getting closer to the end of my jog. It made me realize a common fault I have made many times when getting close to the end with many things I do.

As my thoughts drifted and I became present with what I was doing on my jog, so I picked up the pace. I started thinking of my good friend Bill Beck when he ran 50 miles for a charitable event. He was in pain with his knees, but what he did at the end was magnificent.

Even with all the pain he was in, he ran an extra mile.

Now that for me is going the extra mile.

Getting to the finish isn’t always enough. Its going that extra mile and following through with what you started.

As you get closer to the finish line it doesn’t mean slowing down, it means finishing strong. Finishing with a sprint to the line like athletes do after they have run a marathon, or a cycling event.

The finish line is not necessarily the end of the race. The box maybe ticked to say you have completed your desired outcome, but you still have to keep going with whatever is next.

Why should you go the extra mile?

1. It builds character.

When you go the extra mile, you develop a reputation to do more and be more. You instill in yourself to continuously do your best at all times no matter what. You become a better person by simply going the extra mile.

2.It’s the best thing to do.

Doing just enough or simply crossing the finish line is being average, being mediocre. You have to challenge yourself to be you best at all times. To go above and beyond what is expected of you. To follow through and continuously grow as an individual. By going the extra mile you you go into the unknown, down the road less travelled, and it is in the unknown that we learn, develop and grow.

3.It creates greater opportunities.

The road less travelled creates further opportunities that you may not have known existed. You never know what lies around the corner and it is the reason you should always go the extra mile.

Keep unleashing your true potential and giving your ultimate best long after you have completed your race.

At some point in your life you wanted to change something. To lose some weight. To put some muscle on. To train for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or the very popular obstacle course races like Spartan, Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash to name a few.

With each of these, a decision has to be made. A very precise decision to take action and train for the relevant goal that you are after.

However, saying ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want to do an obstacle race’ is not a very strong commitment to achieve your desired outcome. Yes it is a good start to the process but it will stop there if you don’t take the next step.

The next step is to take action and burn the bridges that will stop you from going back.

You got to make it impossible to go back to your old habits. Create an uncomfortable scenario for if you fail.

So if you want to lose some of those extra pounds, burn the bridges by getting rid of all the junk in your kitchen. Get rid of all the sugary drinks you may have stored away.

These 11 traps are holding you back in some way or the other.

A winning mentality creates a positive cycle in our lives with anything we do. Every time we see some type of results in the gym, it spurs us on to keep going. It’s why setting goals are important and also monitoring/measuring the goal to make sure we are going in the direction we want to be going.

When we win we gain self confidence. The more confidence we have, the more likely we are to stick to the plan and take action to keep things moving forward. We feel on top of the world. We feel AWESOME!

However, losing can create a cycle in our lives, which tends to be a negative one. Loses can lead to low self confidence and being disheartened. It causes us to question things that usually cause doubt and insecurities in ourselves. Not a great feeling and not a great place to be.

Over the years of training people, I constantly hear these 11 traps that potentially hold people back form being their ULTIMATE best.

11 traps holding people back:

1. The Mistake Trap: “I am afraid of doing something wrong.”

If you are afraid of doing doing something wrong, then you will never get started. That is just a story you are telling yourself. Be courageous and make that step and keep taking little steps each and every day. How are you going to know if you are doing something wrong if you do not know if you are doing it wrong. Think about that for a second. It is a learning process with each and every step.

2. The Fatigue Trap: “I am tired today.”

Snap out of that excuse. By doing some form of exercise you are going to feel more energized.

3. The Comparison Trap: “Everybody in the gym is fit and healthy.”

Everybody in the gym had to start somewhere and so do you. You are NOT inferior to any of these people that are fit and healthy. You can do the same and transform your own health and wellness. The only person you need to compete with is yourself so forget about everybody else.

4. The Timing Trap: “This is not the right time”

Then when is the right time? There is no time like the present time. Listen the right time is now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not the first Monday of the month. The time is NOW.

5. The Inspiration Trap: “I don’t feel like doing it right now”

When do you feel like doing it then? Stop hesitating and start taking action to take control of your health. You only have one body for the rest of your life, so own it and take care of it today and every day.

6. The Rationalization Trap: “Maybe it is not important”

Are you kidding me???? You bet it is important. And you very well know that your health is important. Don’t let this trap demotivate you from being the best version of yourself.

7. The Perfection Trap:“There is a best way to do it and I have to find it before I start”

You honestly do not need the newest pair of sneakers or training clothing. You do not need to find the perfect workout (there is no such thing). All you need to do is get started and make relevant changes as you go along.

8. The Expectation Trap: “I thought it would be easy, but it isn’t”

You definitely got that one correct. Hey, yes it is going to be hard. Yes it is going to be challenging. Yes you are going to have to work for it. But in the end the reward is greater.

9. The Fairness Trap: “I shouldn’t have to do this.” “Why me?”

Yes you do! Your health is of utmost importance.

10. The Public Opinion Trap: “If I fail, what will others think?”

First of all stop thinking what other people are going to think of you. It will paralyze you. Secondly, if you fail so what. Get up and go again but this time learn from your failures. That is the joy of failure; you learn what not to do next time. How great is that!

11. The Self-Image Trap:“If I fail at this, it means I am a failure”

Let me start by saying you are NOT a failure. You are FREAKING AWESOME! (my new 2 favorite words). You are also not going to fail. There may be set backs but again it is learning process.

All of these traps are caused by losses, and all create a negative mindset. If you want to be successful with your health and fitness goals, shift your mindset to a more positive, winning mentality to bridge that gap.

What you focus on, you achieve. So focus on the things you want to achieve.

This seriously is what I want for you….

I could blog about the 10 best exercises to get the best bang for you buck, or 7 foods you should be eating, or the best exercises to get a six-pack.

To be honest, it’s all out there already. Somebody out there has written about and some day I probably will write something about those topics.

But here is what I really want for you….

I want you to get up and get moving. I want you to take responsibility for your life. I want you to take control of your actions. One thing I am not going to say is it’s going to be an easy road to get in the best shape of your life. It is going to take what I call 3 D’s and an A.

It is going to take DEDICATION!

It is going to take DETERMINATION!

It is going to take DRIVE!

Lastly you are going to have to take ACTION!

So make that first step and decide right NOW that you are going to make the change in your life that you have been thinking of doing for however long. Make that commitment to do something right NOW to be one step closer to being the BEST version of yourself. Get up now, stop reading and go do something.

Write down your goals.

Do 10 push ups.

Go for a 10 minute run.

Do a plank for 30 seconds.

Tell someone your goals.

Just do something NOW!

I want you to take action every day in the direction that you want to go in. I want you to think about everything that you are going to eat and ask yourself ‘is this going to gt me closer to where I want to be or not?’ If it is not, then make a better choice.

The next time you train push yourself, challenge yourself to be your BEST. See how far you can push yourself. Yes it is going to be uncomfortable. Yes you are going to be out of breath and gasping for air. But guess what, this is what it is going to take to get you to that next level. This is what it is going to take to achieve your desired outcome.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

And yes somebody who you know is going to burst your bubble and it is going to be someone very close to you. Guess what? That person is just jealous of the positive changes you are making in your life and wants to the the same.

This is what you do with this person. You HELP them achieve what you are achieving. This is going to challenge you in a different way and you will have more accountability with what you are aiming to achieve. How great would that be if you helped someone else achieve something in their life that they may be struggling with.

It would be freaking AWESOME!

I want you to STOP thinking about what other people would think when you rock up to work with all your healthy food packed up and well prepared.

I want you to STOP thinking about what other people would say when you tell them that you have stopped drinking because you are now living a healthier lifestyle. This is your life and you do NOT have to do what everyone else may be doing. It is very liberating to say NO by the way. Try it!

I want you to STOP thinking what other people are going to say when you say no to going out because you have to go to the gym. This is you life so own it!

I want you to be happy with yourself.

I want you to challenge yourself to unleash your true potential.

I want you to look sexy and be so confident that you feel on top of the world each and every day.

I want you to be outstanding with whatever you do.

I want you to ROCK your FREAKING world.

I want you to be your best.

I want when people see you that they are inspired by you to get started on their own fitness journey.

I want you to be brave to take the necessary steps that will change you life for the better. To do the things that deep down inside of you that you know you should be doing.

The only limit you have are the limits within you.

Rise above and ALWAYS be your best at whatever you do.

Rise above and ALWAYS be outstanding.

Rise above and ALWAYS raise your standards to another level.

Rise up and ALWAYS live life to your true potential.

It is your time to shine, so get up, get moving and take action TODAY.

Join the gym, find a trainer, go do Zumba, jog around the block….just do something NOW.

I want to help you so if you need advice on how to get started or how to take things to another level or have any questions, then email me:

Have you got the emotional attachment to your goal?

Yesterday I witnessed something that I have never seen before with any of my clients. It was such a great feeling to see and it made me feel very humbled.

I started working with her back in October 2013. I remember the first day she came in very clearly. I did my usual meet and greet with her and started her consultation. At the end of the consultation is a section to go through her goals of which I really dig deep to find out what is that person’s emotional attachment to their goal.

Loads of people find this very difficult to answer and very uncomfortable at times.

So I asked her what was her goal?

I got the usual I want to lose weight and tone up.

So I asked what does that mean to you losing weight and toning up?

I got a little bit more in depth answer which was great.

Now here is where it got really deep.

I asked her why she wanted to achieve the desired goal and she told me why. After that I kept asking why till I got to that REAL EMOTIONAL attachment to the goal.

At that moment I did not believe it was the last ‘why’ question to be asked and believed there was more. She started to feel very uncomfortable with this strange guy, who she has never met before asking her questions to really dig deep to find that emotional attachment to her goal. She started to feel really uneasy and I could see that so I stopped where we were and then advised her to keep asking why when she went home to find that true emotional attachment.

Her emotional attachment to the goal at the time was for a lifestyle change, to achieve something for herself and as she was in the Health & Wellness Industry, to practice what she preached and most importantly to do something for herself.

Her specific goals were:

Body Fat 18%

Fat Mass 25.2 lbs.

Lean Mass 114.8 lbs.

Weight 140 lbs

All to be achieved in 12 weeks.

At the beginning her stats were:

Body Fat 21.7%

Fat Mass 31.7 lbs

Lean Mass 114.9 lbs.

Weight 146.6 lbs.

Long story short is we achieved this goal at week 10 and she was ecstatic.

Look at her eyes in the before and after picture. A totally different person.

But here is where it got really exciting for her.

She felt like a totally different person and wanted more. She now wanted to push her limits to see what she could truly achieve by here birthday. She was now doing things that she thought she could not do. She entered two 5k runs and on both occasions she smashed her personal best times without doing any running. She was doing exercises that she was struggling with at the beginning with ease. She was coming out of her comfort zone and becoming the person deep down inside of her that she truly wanted to be.

I felt as though I was working with another person. An entirely different person to the one I met on the first day.How awesome is that?

Her new goal for her 30th birthday was 15% body fat, 30 push ups, 10 pull ups and squat 155 for 1 rep.

On Monday there were tears of joy as she hit all her goals 3 days before her birthday.

I have never seen any of my clients cry from achieving their goal, so this was a special moment, not just for me, but more so for my client.

Congratulations Dani! So proud of you and the privilege of working alongside you on your journey.

The best is yet to come. Now let ‘s get back to work 🙂

Have you got an emotional attachment to your goal?

I get all my clients to place an emotional attachment to their goal, as we are driven by our emotions. I have noticed the greater emotional attachment you place on anything in life, the greater chance of you achieving the desired outcome you are working towards.

So dig deep and keep asking ‘why’ when you set goals, until you find that emotional attachment.

So my sister sent me a message recently and said why I don’t write a blog about ‘get off your arse and do the exercise you know you need to do.’

How many of you can resonate with that statement. I know I certainly can, as one point in my life, I was like that. I knew I needed to get my butt up to do my workout but would procrastinate and just sit there or find something else to do.

Here is the thing with this statement. It says to ‘do the exercises you know you need to do.’

So it is not a matter of not knowing what to do, it is more to do with laziness. Apologizes if this has offended you in any way but let’s say it as it is, LAZINESS is holding you back, not, not knowing what to do.

We all have some idea of what to do when it comes to eating. We all know that fast food is not healthy. We all know that we need to exercise to stay healthy. We all know that we should be drinking water. We all know that the can of soda is not good for us. We all know that we are the ones holding ourselves back but are in denial.

I will say that again:

WE ARE HOLDING OURSELVES BACK!!!!

Yes including me…..

Let me be straight up here, you are not where you want to be with your fitness goals because of yourself. Nobody else but YOU!

No time to workout…..an EXCUSE.

Have to work late…..an EXCUSE.

It is hard….an EXCUSE.

I tried it before and it didn’t work….an EXCUSE.

My dog died….an EXCUSE.

All excuses. Every one of them.

Stop being in denial and take a hard honest look at yourself. Look within yourself and make an honest assessment of yourself.

It is time to own it and take control of your health and fitness

It is time to take action towards moving from where you are at your present state, and moving towards your desired state of ULTIMATE health and fitness.

It is time stop with the excuses and be that person you dream of being.

It is time to make that commitment to a fitter, healthier you.

You are capable of more than you think you can do. All that you need is within you. You just need to believe in yourself and take little steps every day to achieve your desired outcome.

Yes it will take hard work.

Yes it will take commitment.

Yes you will have to get down and dirty and sweat for it.

Yes is it not going to be easy.

Yes you will have to make some sacrifices.

Guess what?

Once you achieve your desired outcome, who is going to feel on top of the world.

Whose confidence is going to be sky high?

Who is going to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Who is going to feel better?

Who is going to look and feel sexy?

Who is going to walk around with much more confidence because of what they have achieved?

Yes YOU are…..

So my little sister and many other people out there, get comfortable being uncomfortable, because life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

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About Gavin

Gavin De Souza is a Certified Precision Nutrition Coach and Fitness Professional.

He has worked in several training facilities in the UK and US, specializing in Personal Training, Nutrition, Body Transformation, as well as Youth Fitness Development and Sport Specific preparation.

Gavin has been involved in the Fitness Industry since 2002.

In addition, Gavin focuses on helping to serve, mentor, inspire, lead and empower busy, successful, professionals, to find balance in their lives, so that they can unleash their true potential, to LOOK, FEEL and PERFORM at their ultimate best in sport and life.